Pampering in Hawaii: A Maui Spa Guide

Maui is a land not short on heart-pumping, adrenaline-fuelled excursions. And for every high”¦ there’s the inevitable “come down” that you’ll need to face. Thankfully, The Valley Isle is replete with exquisite spas staffed by well-trained massage therapists, eager to return your aching muscles to their happy place. Take a look at our Maui spa guide for the best places for a spot of pampering in Hawaii.

Near Lahaina, Kaanapali’s Westin Maui Resort & Spa offers one of the best-run and popular spas statewide, called the Heavenly Spa. Sixteen treatment rooms include three designed entirely for simultaneous couples treatments, outdoor massage hales (huts) and facial rooms plus a beauty salon typically filled with wedding or hen parties.

A few paces down the beach, the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa has a stand-alone building entirely dedicated to pampering, called Spa Moana. An extensive menu of options include Cranial Sacral, Cocoa Bliss, Reiki and Hot Stone””the latter of which is reported to be some of the best executed on the island. There’s even an Oceanside Pregnancy massage on offer here.

In Wailea, the behemoth of all island spas resides in the lower level of the Grand Wailea Resort “”a massive temple to all things wellness””appropriately named Spa Grande. Two floors and 50,000 square feet of pampering begins with a body scrub that accompanies all massage treatments. Within the inlaid Italian marble dressing room, you’ll find (all complimentary for spa-goers) sauna and steam rooms, Roman whirlpool, waterfall massage, Swiss jet showers, Japanese Furo bath and five (rather colourful) specialty baths that contain different minerals for various healing effects. There are teen and keiki (children) spa programs as well as half or full-day regimens you can sign up for to achieve maximum bliss.

The Ritz-Carlton at Kapalua is certainly positioned in the most picturesque setting. The resort sits on a sloping bluff with ocean views and towering pine trees. The walk into the spa’s reception alone is a meditation””a volcanic corridor spotted with tropical flora and trickling water””the last of which happens to be the spa’s theme. With each season the spa seems to incorporate more of the natural local bounty into treatments, be it infused in oils, aromatherapy or otherwise. Sea salt, lavender and maile are just the beginning. This may just be the ideal venue to test the waters of authentic lomi lomi, the indigenous Hawaiian form of healing.

To delve into old Hawaii, head the distance to Travaasa Hana, where their stand-alone spa is equally big on bringing the natural elements of Hawaii into treatments. Think local red clay body wraps infused with sea algae and sandalwood, tinged with organic fig, cypress and juniper for toning. The spa menu alone is a tranquil respite into the study of Hawaiian healing.

About Brian Berusch

Brian Berusch traded in his Manhattan gym membership for a quiver of surfboards, trail running shoes and a one-way ticket to Honolulu more than a decade ago. Since then, he’s interviewed dozens of celebrities and covered the destination for more than 25 travel and lifestyle magazines. He’s an award-winning Editorial Director, a Today Show correspondent and most recently the publisher of two new magazines. He has yet to “get barreled” in the perfect wave.